General
FAFSA & Federal Aid
Need Access Application & Need-Based Grants
Transfer Students
FAFSA & Federal Aid
Q: Does the UCLA School of Law have its own FAFSA code?
A: No, our FAFSA code is the same for undergraduates, graduate, and professional students: 001315.
Q: Have you received my FAFSA?
A: UCLA will download FAFSA applications after the March 2nd deadline. Confirming that UCLA is listed as one of your institutions on your Student Aid Report (SAR) once your application is processed by the federal processor assures you that UCLA has your FAFSA application.
Q: Do you require that I submit parental information on the FAFSA?
A: No--graduate students are automatically considered independent for purposes of federal financial aid, therefore you do not need to complete the parent information section of the FAFSA.
Q: I am applying to more than ten schools--how do I know it is safe to remove the original schools of my application so that I can then submit my FAFSA to other institutions?
A: When you receive your SAR indicating that the federal processor has processed your application, it is safe to go back to the FAFSA website to remove the original schools and add additional ones.
Q: I applied to more than ten schools but need to update my FAFSA record. How do I do this?
A: When you receive your SAR indicating that the federal processor has processed your corrections, it is safe to go back to the FAFSA website to remove the original schools and submit corrections for the additional ones.
Q: My taxes will not be completed prior to your deadline. Is it OK to use estimates when completing the FAFSA?
A: It is fine to use your best estimates when completing the FAFSA. You will need to update your FAFSA once you do actually file your tax return. If you are offered and accept admission, then we will notify you if we need any forms or documents. Until then, you are not required to send us any tax forms and you should update the FAFSA by May 1. Please note that if your file is selected for verification, a hold may be placed on your financial aid disbursement until we receive your completed tax returns.
Q: I am an international student--do I need to submit a FAFSA?
A: A student must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen in order to receive federal financial aid. Students who do not fall into either category are not eligible for federal financial aid and thus do not need to complete the FAFSA. For information on federal eligibility, you may refer to the chapter on "Citizenship" in the Federal Student Aid Handbook.
Q: What is the annual Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan limit for graduate students?
A: All law students who submit a FAFSA and meet eligibility requirements are entitled to receive an annual allocation of $20,500 in a Direct Loan regardless of their assets or income! Students eligible for the federal Perkins loan receive an annual allocation of $4,000. FAFSA must be completed every year beginning January 1 and no later than March 2 to meet the priority deadline date.
Q: What is the aggregate Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan limit for the graduate students?
A: The U.S. Department of Education permits all eligible recipients to receive a lifetime amount of $138,500 in Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans including undergraduate and any graduate loans received. However, no more than $65,500 can come from the Direct Subsidized loan.
Q: What if I have exhausted my annual Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan eligibility and I still have not reached the cost of attendance. How do I secure additional loans?
A: The students will have a choice to borrow a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan or obtain credit-based private education loan. Both of these loans have a credit review requirement, however the Direct Graduate PLUS loan has a fixed 7.9% interest rate while private loans have a variable rate. The repayment options for private loans are the same as the federal loans, but the interest rate is assigned based on the borrower’s FICO (Fair Isaac Corporation) score. Oftentimes, students have not acquired enough credit to establish a viable credit history, and the lender may ask for a co-borrower. The loan funds are disbursed through the university and not directly to the student.
Need Access Application & Need-Based Grants
Q: Do you require that I submit parental information for the Need Access application?
A: We do require parental information for the Need Access application unless a student falls into one of several categories. To see a listing of these categories, please click here.
Q: My taxes will not be completed prior to your deadline. Is it OK to use estimates when completing the Need Access application?
A: It is fine to use your best estimates when completing the Need Access application. You will need to update your application online at www.needaccess.org once you do actually file your tax return, no later than May 1. Need Access applications that do not reflect the actual federal income tax figures after May 1 will not be considered for the need-based grant. If you are offered and accept admission, then we will notify you if we need any forms or documents. Until then, you are not required to send us any tax forms. Please note that if your file is selected for verification, a hold may be placed on your financial aid disbursement until we receive your tax returns.
Transfer Students